Will Resveratrol Help With Weight Loss?

Resveratrol is a phytoalexin found in the skin of red grapes, mulberries, cranberries, raspberries and blueberries. Peanuts also produce resveratrol. In the plants that produce resveratrol, it acts as an antibacterial and antifungal agent. Studies show resveratrol can improve human health in several ways, including lengthening the lifespan and contributing to weight loss.

Antioxidant

• In addition to antibacterial and antifungal properties, resveratrol is also an antioxidant. Antioxidants counter free radicals, which are produced at the end of a cell's life cycle and cause damage to surrounding cells. Environmental toxins and nutritional substances can also promote the production of free radicals. Antioxidants minimize the damage from free radicals by protecting healthy cells and eliminating free radicals.

Weight Loss

• In a study conducted by the Paul F. Glenn Labs for the Biological Mechanisms of Aging, a group of obese mice were given resveratrol along with a high-calorie diet. A second group of lean mice were also given resveratrol along with a standard diet, and a third group of mice were fed high-calorie diets without resveratrol. The mice receiving resveratrol lived an average of four months longer. The obese mice also lived about the same amount of time as their trim counterparts.

How Resveratrol Works

• The enzyme SIRT1 is linked to lifespan extension and speed of aging in mammals. Low levels of SIRT1 trigger increased production of a chemical called PGC-1alpha. The PGC-1alpha blocks production of mitochondria. Mitochondria affect many aspects of the body and are critical to the formation of lean muscle mass. Resveratrol increased levels of SIRT1, thus lowering PCG-1alpha and contributing to an increase of muscle mass. More muscle mass helps burn more energy, causing you to use fat stores more quickly and lose more weight.

Other Health Benefits

• In the same study, researchers monitored levels of glucose and insulin, looking for markers of insulin resistance and Type II diabetes. They found that the mice receiving resveratrol had lower glucose and insulin levels, even those on a high-calorie diet.
  Other studies in humans have shown Resveratrol appears to protect the heart and other organs from aging. It also guards the eyes against retinopathy and reduces the risk of blood clotting. Promising research reveals resveratrol might also delay or prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

How To Take Resveratrol

• Resveratrol is available in the foods listed above, but also comes as a supplement. The supplement is the most efficient way to get higher doses of resveratrol. You can find resveratrol in doses from 5mgs and up. The recommended daily dose appears to be 50 to 100mgs. The mice in the referenced study received the human equivalent of 50mgs per day.